國在山河破?? 我看1021水災

1021宜蘭水災，讓台灣大家見識到國家的脆弱

風調雨順
國泰民安
五穀豐登

在地勢險要的地方發展人類文明，本來就要面對很多挑戰。
工業革命之後的數百年內，
人類打著人定勝天的口號不斷挑戰自然，
征服了工業革命前界定為不可能的事情，
也無限擴張著我們的文明，

在不斷的超越人類極限的同時
在醫藥、科技、管理等登峰造極同時，
我們忘記了，雖然住在一個”人”的社會，
卻永遠永遠脫離不了自然的範疇。
我們永遠永遠是自然界的一環，不是自然界的主宰。
不論科技研究再怎麼日新月異，
對於自然界的了解並不代表一定要改變自然界。

接二連三的水災，
讓我們見識到”天”如何在一天內改變地貌，改變我們花了幾輩子打造的家園。
可是我們忘記了，
我們是用幾輩子改變了地球花了幾億年造成的台灣寶島。

電視上，政客炒的是為什麼還不蓋蘇花改，
人民氣的，是為什麼不能有快速回家的路。

可是，路再怎麼蓋，
破壞了水土保持，
大水一來還是會垮。
政府再怎麼有效率，
對於日益頻繁的天災也無法阻止家屬的傷痛欲絕，

真正的問題不是怎麼蓋回家的路
而是怎麼和對我們越來越不友善的大自然，
和平共處，
如何在我們繼續進步的社會文明裡，保有對於大自然的尊重。

台灣的地理地質我了解不多
但我知道，
現在才顯現的問題，
是多年來大家不尊重大自然所種下的果。
天災不只是人的問題、
人禍也不只是政府闖的禍、
人類無限放大自己的權利和欲望的結果，
得到的就是自然的反撲。

八八水災、北二高基隆段走山、蘇花高坍方，都讓同為人的我們不捨、感傷、悲憤。

還記得古代帝王將相
每年必做的事
是祭拜
祈求的是: 風調雨順 五穀豐登 國泰民安

古時候的人最悲的是”國破山河在”

現代台灣人
在不斷超越了極限後，
帝王將相，祈求的是”凍蒜”，
在曾被標榜為「社會救星萬靈丹」的民主制度下，
老百姓突然發現，
國雖然還在，但山河已經殘破不堪，

而尚存的國，已經無法修補破掉的山河。

Man In the Mirror

I'm Gonna Make A Change,
For Once In My Life
It's Gonna Feel Real Good,
Gonna Make A Difference
Gonna Make It Right . . .

As I, Turn Up The Collar On My
Favourite Winter Coat
This Wind Is Blowin' My Mind
I See The Kids In The Street,
With Not Enough To Eat
Who Am I, To Be Blind?
Pretending Not To See
Their Needs
A Summer's Disregard,
A Broken Bottle Top
And A One Man's Soul
They Follow Each Other On
The Wind Ya' Know
'Cause They Got Nowhere
To Go
That's Why I Want You To
Know

I've Been A Victim Of A Selfish
Kind Of Love
It's Time That I Realize
That There Are Some With No
Home, Not A Nickel To Loan
Could It Be Really Me,
Pretending That They're Not
Alone?

A Willow Deeply Scarred,
Somebody's Broken Heart
And A Washed-Out Dream
They Follow The Pattern Of
The Wind, Ya' See
Cause They Got No Place
To Be
That's Why I'm Starting With
Me

I'm Starting With The Man In
The Mirror
I'm Asking Him To Change
His Ways
And No Message Could Have
Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World
A Better Place
Take A Look At Yourself And
Then Make A Change



A wise word from Michael Jackson.

The Heart of the Matter Lyrics

I got the call today, I didn't wanna hear
But I knew that it would come
An old true friend of ours was talkin' on the phone
She said you found someone
And I thought of all the bad luck,
And the struggles we went through
And how I lost me and you lost you
What are these voices outside love's open door
Make us throw off our contentment
And beg for something more?

I'm learning to live without you now
But I miss you sometimes
The more I know, the less I understand
All the things I thought I knew, I'm learning again
I've been tryin' to get down to the Heart of the Matter
But my will gets weak
And my thoughts seem to scatter
But I think it's about forgiveness
Forgiveness
Even if, even if you don't love me anymore

These times are so uncertain
There's a yearning undefined
...People filled with rage
We all need a little tenderness
How can love survive in such a graceless age
The trust and self-assurance that can lead to happiness
They're the very things we kill, I guess
Pride and competition cannot fill these empty arms
And the work I put between us,
Doesn't keep me warm

I'm learning to live without you now
But I miss you, Baby
The more I know, the less I understand
All the things I thought I figured out, I have to learn again
I've been tryin' to get down to the Heart of the Matter
But everything changes
And my friends seem to scatter
But I think it's about forgiveness
Forgiveness
Even if, even if you don't love me anymore

There are people in your life who've come and gone
They let you down and hurt your pride
Better put it all behind you; life goes on
You keep carrin' that anger, it'll eat you inside

I've been tryin' to get down to the Heart of the Matter
But my will gets weak
And my thoughts seem to scatter
But I think it's about forgiveness
Forgiveness
Even if, even if you don't love me anymore

I've been tryin' to get down to the Heart of the Matter
Because the flesh will get weak
And the ashes will scatter
So I'm thinkin' about forgiveness
Forgiveness
Even if, even if you don't love me anymore

Fair Trade Truth

Quoting Economist:
http://www.economist.com/debate/days/view/515&fsrc=nwl

"When it comes to ethical trade the big guns of the free trade movement are firing at all the wrong targets. Ethical trade brands that give a better deal to small farmers growing tea or coffee? A brazen attempt to distort markets and—even worse—mislead consumers. Shunning toys or garments produced by child labourers? Just another case of thinly veiled protectionism.

This is the sort of thing that gets free trade a bad name. Whether we like it or not, trade is a human connection. It ties consumers in rich countries to some of the world's poorest people. Consumers should care about how their purchasing power affects the lives of others and they should be demanding information and making informed choices. The market for ethically traded goods is growing not because most consumers do not listen to eminent free trade economists. It is growing because people care about social justice."

Hi-Tech Sweat Shop report!

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/china-taiwan/091103/silicon-sweatshops-disposable-workforce

SLAVERY!

Slave

Pronunciation: \ˈslāv\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English sclave, from Anglo-French or Medieval Latin; Anglo-French esclave, from Medieval Latin sclavus, from Sclavus Slavic; from the frequent enslavement of Slavs in central Europe during the early Middle Ages

Date: 14th century

1 : a person held in servitude as the chattel of another
2 : one that is completely subservient to a dominating influence
3 : a device (as the printer of a computer) that is directly responsive to another
4 : drudge, toiler

     Now think about working person. 

     In the modern society, one HAS to earn money to make a living. If one does not have an outstanding/unique ability to make money (say writing, singing, composing, starting and succeeding at entrepreneuring), he or she has to make money through jobs. Jobs that are perceived secure and pay good money. Preferably jobs from big companies that do not risk closing down any time soon.

   Once one takes the perceived good job, one usually conforms to the company policy or culture. One feels the pressure to do so to keep his/her job. So if the company asks the person to sacrifice more and do more work, one has to obey, in the fear of disobeying will cost him/her the job, thus the money that feeds one.

   So, the money along with the company forms the DOMINATING INFLUENCE that one have to be a subservient to. One stops being an employee, and becomes a SLAVE.

   Just think of the sweatshops. How did the sweatshops come to being?

   First of all, local people need jobs to advance their living condition. A paying job at the sweatshop usually rewards higher than a local job, although comparatively low compared to other places. Such job is usually repetitive and does not need much sophisticated skills.

Once a person is on the job, due to the money this job pays, he has to keep the job, therefore no matter how tiring the job is or bad the working condition is, he/she just have to work through them. If they attempt to do otherwise, they will be let go, and the next local person who has this low-end skill will take the job, probably for the same amount of money, or lower.

    Condiser the condition for slaves back in the pre-Civil War era in North America. Slaves were bought off by their owners with MONEY on a slave market (as oppose to the job market). Then they were forced to work. They have to work hard, or physical punishment will ensue (the modern term is fired or no pay raise). They have to obey their owners, and if they run away, they probably would have a chance to escape such a miserable life, but if they get caught, harsher physical punishment will ensue too (quit your job, and it might be harder to find a better job).

    Owners do not care much about their slaves’ well-beings (neither do the companies, or no sweatshop will come to being. One may wonder why employees from Foxxcom commit suicide. This is why: Foxxcom do not care about its employees’ well being). Owners want as much labour they can get from a slave as possible (Companies want to generate as much profit as possible, be it to rip their employees off, then be it.). Slaves were driven to death by laboring too much (How often do you hear people get over-fatigued and died on a job these days?). If a slave gets sick, most owners would not give a damn than to buy a new slave. If an employee is sick, he or she either get an unpaid leave, or just leave. 

So, you see how the current monetary-based, corporate-dominated society has forced us into a modified version of SLAVERY and trap us in it?

Last Day at work, 五味雜成

Today is my last day at work. In half a month I will be celebrating my first anniversary at this company. And I did not stay that extra two weeks.

I have been blessed to work in this company. The job is repetitive and relatively boring, yet not so busy and stressful that I still get my time and space to reach out to learn and touch other stuff that is not related to work on my off-work time.


I also realized that in this past few weeks that I have met some very nice people who values me a lot. I feel loved. This feeling has not befall on me for awhile.

So I guess I feel grateful. I feel alive. And I hope that my calling will take me to somewhere my heart yearns to be. Be it the woman I have been thinking, the places in the world I wish to be, or the huge challenge we are facing as humanity.

Peace Out!

I will miss you all!

P.Diddy.

外公

我媽媽是外省小孩
他在逃難到台灣途中出生的
能到台灣是因為我外公是軍人

我沒有看過我外公

我1984年，我媽35歲時出生時，我外公已經過世十年了

時年54歲


沒看過他

從小倒是常聽到我媽講他們家裡故事
到加拿大也會聽我阿姨說一些

據說

他是個嚴肅的人
心情常常不好
小朋友都很怕他

可是他是個孝順的人
他的媽媽沒有來台灣
可是我外婆的媽媽有
他對她是畢恭畢敬
事她至孝

他五十四歲時死於糖尿病
生前時常心情不好
會喝酒
會哭
所以可以說是憂鬱而死

在看大江大海之前
我對於他的人生就僅止於這些媽媽和阿姨的口頭傳述

看了之後
才知道
他其實也是裡面的主角之一
十幾歲就去打仗
來台灣的時候來不及回家接媽媽
沒想到一生的後面三十幾年，
就沒有再見過家園
也沒有再見過媽媽

他說不定也有一雙草鞋
或是想對母親說的話

也許他就是這樣才會對我太婆婆至孝

他們的時代，出生在大陸。
能夠有這樣的際遇可能算是好命

可是，在大時代的驅使下
他可以選擇嗎?

在加拿大的時候
我其實不太確定我是誰
加拿大人?
台灣人?
中國人?
可能覺得自己很優越
因為喝過洋墨水

其實到頭來
我就是一個中國人，一個華人
有四分之一的血是這個被時代折磨的男人傳下來的

他們的人生進展到我們的人生
感覺毫不相關
卻又連著血管裡血液密密結合

我更了解我是誰了
感謝龍應台

我也慶幸我現在有機會選擇我的人生

希望這些時代的悲劇永遠不再發生

可是，
這些悲劇在世界各地還是不斷發生

我們能做什麼??





 For my 外公 , whom I have never met.                                                   Mar 16/10

±2℃/正負2度C

各位鄉親父老兄弟姊妹
我們不能再漠視地球暖化這個問題了
傷害地球環境這麼多年
最後傷害的只是我們自己

http://mepopedia.com/?page=394

看看這些短片
想像一下我們未來可能要面對的困境
再冷漠下去
等我四十歲的時候
可能就要當氣候難民了 (小弟今年二十有六單身!!!)

到時候
住在台北的人，就跟住在小林村的人一樣
或者更慘 (因為水不會退)

可是我覺得身旁的人沒有很關心這件大事
叫大家一起跟我去報名志工也不踴躍

http://正負2度c.tw (加入志工!!)

氣候變遷已經是一件無比重要的大事，
如果海平面繼續上升，台灣是全世界最早受影響的國家之一
我們不只需要關注
更要開始行動
不只是從個人
更要將這個議題提升到國家層級

因為除了個人可以做的事之外
我們需要更嚴厲的法則來限制產業排放溫室氣體
需要用法律提供各行各業各層級轉型綠色企業更多的誘因

身為個人我們不只要將行動訴諸政府
也要以行動反映我們的需求給大企業

再不行動....我可能在討到老婆前就成為氣候難民了...而大家以後也看不到台北市了...



PS: 另一個值得參加的活動 www.civictaipei.org/activity/meat/183.html
由龍應台文化基金會舉辦

I LOVE YOU Philip Morris

Watched this crazy movie yesterday.

Donno what to say.

Not to sure how to categorize this movie.

Romance? Comedy? Suspense? Drama?

It is them all, yet not quite so.

The movie has a lot of dicks, many referrings to sucking the dicks, calling people faggots a lot.

I love the humour in it. And I am made uncomfortable by the performance of affection shown in the movie.


It is just TOOO GAY!

With Ewan McGregor and Jim Carrey, it is tooooo GAY.


I like it when Jim Carrey says "I am gonna live my life! I am a faggot! I am gonna be a fucking faggot!"

I like how candor this movie goes sexually.

It is just way tooo funny and way toooo gay.

Back For Good, by Take That

Haven't been able to write up something concrete lately.

Not because I am starting to get numb and stop having feelings and thoughts, but I was preoccupied.

Then I hear this song, and it brings me back to a simpler time, when I was young and naive, and listen to love songs just because they sound good and the stories they convey says something abstract yet beautiful to me.

Emotions are usually pure, and relationships are usually uncomplicated. Songs does not tell you the practical barriers in relationships and they simply tell you everything will be fine as long as you have the heart to deal with your relationship.... easy to say...

But the songs are still nevertheless priceless and invaluable.

I heard this song when I was 12, saw those guys on MTV being showered stupid by rain. I think BackstreetBoys follow suit for their I will never break your heart MTV, and did very stupid poses in there too (I realized how stupid they were a very good 7 years after the song was released and my housemate was still screaming over those videos).

I like the guitar in the prelude. I like it when they the first line pops out of the background music. I like it when he says it is good time to give up. The sight of a cup of lipstick mark. So how long does a person out of your life linger? Do you hear the man's regret when he says he does not mean the stuff he said? Seeing the one you love excel after being free?

The man is heartbroken...

Let's hear it!

I guess now it's time for me to give up
I feel it's time
Got a picture of you beside me
Got your lipstick mark still on your coffee cup
Got a fist of pure emotion
Got a head of shattered dreams
Gotta leave it, gotta leave it all behind now

Whatever I said, whatever I did, I didn't mean it
I just want you back for good
Whenever I'm wrong just tell me the song and I'll sing it
You'll be right and understood

Unaware but underlined I figured out the story
It wasn't good
But in the corner of my mind I celebrated glory
But that was not to be
In the twist of separation you excelled at being free
Can't you find a little room inside for me

Whatever I said, whatever I did, I didn't mean it
I just want you back for good
Whenever I'm wrong just tell me the song and I'll sing it
You'll be right and understood

And we'll be together, this time is forever
We'll be fighting and forever we will be
So complete in our love
We will never be uncovered again

I heard this song when I was 12, saw those guys on MTV being showered stupid by rain. I think BackstreetBoys follow suit for their I will never break your heart MTV, and did very stupid poses in there too (I realized how stupid they were a very good 7 years after the song was released and my housemate was still screaming over those videos).

I like the guitar in the prelude. I like it when they the first line pops out of the background music. I like it when he says it is good time to give up. The sight of a cup of lipstick mark. So how long does a person out of your life linger? Do you hear the man's regret when he says he does not mean the stuff he said? Seeing the one you love excel after being free?

The man is heartbroken...

Let's hear it!

I guess now it's time for me to give up
I feel it's time
Got a picture of you beside me
Got your lipstick mark still on your coffee cup
Got a fist of pure emotion
Got a head of shattered dreams
Gotta leave it, gotta leave it all behind now

Whatever I said, whatever I did, I didn't mean it
I just want you back for good
Whenever I'm wrong just tell me the song and I'll sing it
You'll be right and understood

Unaware but underlined I figured out the story
It wasn't good
But in the corner of my mind I celebrated glory
But that was not to be
In the twist of separation you excelled at being free
Can't you find a little room inside for me

Whatever I said, whatever I did, I didn't mean it
I just want you back for good
Whenever I'm wrong just tell me the song and I'll sing it
You'll be right and understood

And we'll be together, this time is forever
We'll be fighting and forever we will be
So complete in our love
We will never be uncovered again

YipYapping about CARING

As civilization progress, some people are left behind.

And we see these people left behind sometimes end up on the street.

Life was simple. In human history, the way of living never advanced this quickly.

So new rules of survival came into play.

Corporates did not appeared until 1600. And after that, way of living changed for all people.

Those who refused to change, got left behind and was left with little resources.

Long time ago, people like me, who does not know how to farm or make a chair or kill a pig, would never get rich unless I go into government (or kingdom beauracracy).

But after industrial revolution, the situation reversed.

So, what if, the base of the industrial revolution is cut off. And what if we were forced to live the way our ancestors from many centuries ago lived.

And what if, one day, our nature starts to fight back to our ever pounding on it since industrial revolution. What if, one day, the force that has driven this industrial civilization forward, Energy, is cut off.

What if one day, when all those left behind grow into a significant population and was fed up by others who over-uses their share of resources on this planet. Riot results? Violence everywhere?

If we just keep focusing on ourselves and feed our needs, but not to care about other people's needs by looking at what they want and deserve, or maybe fill their needs to be respected and being taken care of, we may very well bring doom to ourselves. If we just keep focusing on ourselves and feed our needs, but not to care about Mother Nature's by looking at what the planet need, or maybe fill nature's needs to be balanced in all its elements, we may very well bring doom to ourselves, too.

L-O-V-E quoting MJ

I guess I am touched...

Daniel Pinks talk on Motivation

http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation.html


Autonomy

Mastery

Purpose

FIRST ONE OF OUR OWN

Hey just wanna say congratulations on getting married.

You are the first one of our own to step into the life after "singlehood", and I am freaking jealous that you have found the one you would want to spend the rest of ur life with :). I wish I had one right now by my side. The one who I want now refuse to talk me and is avoiding my contact too, and I think I am fine with it, coz I never knew how to treat a lady I suppose. There has been many reported incidents lately that I insulted great women friends lately. And with your card saying I need to tone down "manhood", I think I started to understand more about myself. And all of a sudden I don't feel so good about my conducts.

A coworker once told me that my mouth is as sharp as a knife, but my heart is as soft as a jelly. And with this "characteristics" of me, I hurt people who are closest to me the most. Guys might be fine with my constant mocking and teasing (as long as they have the ability to fight back), girls can't. And with that attitude of me, I probably hurt the one girl who were closet to me, and I don't even realize it. And to think I hurt someone I love that frequent, I bled in my heart.

So I vow to myself to be a warmer person, and to be a better and more responsible man, to both my duties as a person and my emotions. And I thank you for helping me realize this. I hope I can still fight my way back to get that girl. And to realize that I could become a better person and had a shot (so far no progress whatsoever) at someone (and probably the only one) with whom I would ever fall in love actually put more meaning in my life not only on the personal scale but my sense of purpose in my life.

You have been a great friend. You are always thoughtful for people around you and put others comforts before yours. That is some quality you rarely see these day. I feel super blessed to have met you so early in my life: to learn from you, to grow with you, and to be happy for you on your BIG BIG day tomorrow.

加油!!

CONGRATULATIONS

Taipei Car Expo

Went to the Taipei Car Expo today.

Had more fun than I expected.



Saw many hot models and some cool, "moving house (pricewise)" type of vehicles. Also saw many concept cars that are either out of this world or simply very "imaginable" (ie. not so futuristic).

For some reason, all "affordable" brands are pushing their energy saving and zero carbon emission vehicles. But non can differentiate themselved and give me a strong impression of whether their carbon emission cutting technology would be all worthwhile for me. So as a company trying to come out in a hurd of brands in front of the customers, how you present your product thus becomes important.

Current expo show formula is to have the car and the plates introducing the cars right beside them. There are sales personelle around and a information booth equipped with hot girls. At certain times of the day, stage show would be arranged. Models will walk on the stage, pose, then introduce the cars with prepared script.

However, those who would gather to see those show are not for the cars, but for the models, photos and the little souvenirs which I deem useless stuff...

So, does spending so much money on those shows worthwhile?

I guess it is just another phenonmenon where when your competitor in the market does it, you feel pressured to follow suit coz if you don't, there may be a chance that you might lose your market share. But does those shows really help in terms of car sales? Big companies probably make too much money to care.